Recent Grads: How Not to Impress Your Parents' Professional Contacts

Aug. 13, 2011 -- An acquaintance invited me to dinner at her house last month, which I quickly realized was an excuse to get me in the same room as her daughter, a recent college grad looking for her first writing job.

I'm happy to help the kids of my peers when I can, especially those who, like my acquaintance's daughter, are personable, smart and passionate about their interests. Only problem was, from a professional standpoint, my colleague's next of kin made a miserable impression.

She wasn't baring her midriff or texting through dinner. But it quickly became apparent that rather than using the opportunity to ask me for professional advice, this 20-something instead hoped I would wave a magic wand and pronounce her employed.

There were no questions about how I'd launched my career, what I thought of my work or what steps she could take to attain a job in her desired field. No writing-related internships, volunteer projects or paid work in her lengthy academic history. No blog, social media account or portfolio of samples. No clue what type of entry-level writing jobs were out there or what professional associations existed to help aspiring young writers. In short, no steps taken to make the leap from the customer service work she'd been doing since college to the writing career she fantasized about.

Mining your parents' professional network for career advice is a smart move, but only if you come prepared. Following are the top five ways 20-somethings blow it when networking with their parents' peers:

Neglect to Google the person you're meeting with. If you haven't taken the time to read about your parents' pals on LinkedIn and their company websites, you're not ready to meet with them. This isn't about sucking up. It's about knowing how these people can help you professionally and what questions they can answer for you. It's also about showing some initiative. Your dad's running buddy will be much more likely to pass your resume along to his friend in HR if he knows you're resourceful and self-motivated.